2019 NFL Mock Draft: Houston Texans Select OT Andre Dillard at No. 23

With the 23rd pick in the 2019 DBN Community NFL Mock Draft, the Houston Texans select...

Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

The selection and write-up were made by Adam Rice:

The number that must be on the minds of Texans fans, players and front office personnel is 62. That’s the number of times QB Deshaun Watson was sacked during the 2018 NFL campaign. And if that wasn’t bad enough, at least half of those sacks came from blown assignments by the Texans offensive line that looked like bad swiss cheese all season. HC Bill O’Brian knows that is in no way a recipe for success going forward for his team, or for any job security he’d like to have. This might be one of the most important drafts in team history, as they need to find a way to keep their franchise QB upright going into 2019. I know O’Brian would probably rather dip into this draft’s defensive class in the 1^st round, but he knows his job is to keep his franchise QB upright if they want to not only make it back to the playoffs in 2019, but advance to the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl.

With that said, with the 23^rd pick in the 2019 NFL Draft the Houston Texans select Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State.

Dillard is considered by many draftniks to be the best pure pass protector in the draft. This skill coming from all the passing that is done in the Cougars offense under pirate enthusiast Mike Leach. Strong and athletic in his sets, he gives you a glimpse of what he could be in the NFL. Arms aren’t as long as the “standard” would suggest, but shows plenty of ability on tape. His biggest flaw? We have no idea what he will be as a run blocker. Very little evidence in this role when you watch the film as Leach’s playbook hardly utilizes the run game in a traditional sense. So, Dillard will be a ball of clay in that regard, which might scare some teams. Yet, I think his prowess in pass pro will be too much to ignore at this point in the draft, and an OL coach might relish in the opportunity to mold his run blocking.

Now, this might be considered as a reach for some as there is a belief that Dillard is a more developmental prospect. Yet, with the Texans signing Matt Kalil as a lottery ticket hoping he can hold down the fort in some form or fashion, which might be enough to give Dillard a chance to sit for a moment while the team gets him acclimated to the NFL. Dillard is a lottery ticket in a way too, but a much younger one. This won’t be the only OL player Houston picks, as they need a lot of help. Dillard is just the first piece of this puzzle, whether it’s on the right or left side.

Pokorny: “The offensive line talent is being raided, so I don’t think taking Dillard now is a reach. Deshaun Watson takes way too many hits, so anything to help keep him upright should be a focus for Houston.”

The Oakland Raiders are up next, led by BigTownBrown.